Shloka 161
Adhyāya 284: Tapas as a Corrective to Household Attachment
Parāśara’s Instruction
या मूर्तय: सुसूक्ष्मास्ते न महां यान्ति दर्शनम् । त्राहि मां सततं रक्ष पिता पुत्रमिवौरसम्
yā mūrtayaḥ susūkṣmās te na mahān yānti darśanam | trāhi māṃ satataṃ rakṣa pitā putram ivaurasam ||
Bhīṣma dit : « Tes formes sont d’une subtilité extrême et n’entrent pas dans le champ de la vue ordinaire. Protège-moi—garde-moi en tout temps—comme un père protège son propre fils légitime. »
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes that the divine can be too subtle for ordinary sensory perception, and therefore one should seek refuge through humble prayer and trust in protective grace, modeled on the intimate duty of a father toward his own son.
Bhishma, speaking in the Shanti Parva’s instruction-setting, voices a supplication: acknowledging that the Lord’s subtle manifestations are beyond normal sight, he asks for constant protection, comparing it to a father’s care for his legitimate son.